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The #LongGrass :: Week 11

Hello and welcome to the eleventh addition of Enter the #LongGrass brought to you by 8-12Hz.

This week we are joined by Matt ‘Masonyx’ Mason member of the VwS Family.

Tell us a bit about yourself and where you're from.

My name is Mason and I’m from Halo. I’m a competitive gamer that plays for leaderboards or world records. I also sponsor peer players that have invested time and have the skill to place well at tournaments or events. For the past 5 years, I’ve been mostly behind the scenes helping to build or support the Halo community. I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure of building teams and sending top pro players to events around the world all while supporting the satellite communities involved.

How did you get into gaming and what does it mean to you?

It means everything. I started playing pong on Atari when I was 2. By the time I was 5 no one could beat me. When I was 3, I was diagnosed with laziness and it held me back for a while from competing in traditional sports or physical activities, but when I picked up a controller there was no limit to my ability. It was pure mental athletics for me. Gaming, for me, became more than a hobbyist escape. I became obsessed quickly because it was the only area where my time and focus translated into winning. So yea, without getting into a life story, that’s essentially how I got into gaming and why it means so much… It’s the purest form of competition without any physical inhibitions, and it’s accessible everywhere. Albeit your back pocket, office, or bedroom; you can compete against other minds across the globe at any given time. That can’t be said about any other sport.

Was Halo your first love?

Nah Chill.

What is your most memorable gaming experience?

I cry every time .Winning my first game in the Halo Global Championship in Seattle, then all I could think about was being a millionaire. “Dude um going to be a millionaire from playing Halo! Lol these fools making fun of playing video games, look at them, what are they doing with their lives… About that time Halo Man said “1 minute remaining.” I woke up… and was in dead last. The dream was gone, and I was back to reality. Getting first rounded at the biggest event ever destroyed my faux ego and sticks as a memorable lesson to use all the time wisely and practice to capacity.

How do you think the gaming scene changed from when you were younger to now, and where do you think it will be in the next few years (with drug testing pro players)?

Yea so the first half of my gaming life was; in reality, just a hopeless hobby because there was no social media, there was no online multiplayer, there were no sponsors. Basically all the value/money was going straight to developer like a black hole. So yea, as a player, there was no financial incentive to play games. So unless you have personal motivations to be a professional gamer, there was no point to it. A total waste of time… Fortunately that seems to be changing now as companies see the size of this industry, and all the potential marketing value. Developers are adding linear progression replay value to each title. I mean, imagine if pacman had title updates, map packs and social media back in 1980. It doesn’t matter what game it is. If it sells a billion copies and you get people to play once a week, that’s essentially 2 billion eyeballs a week. Slip a RedBill ad somewhere in there, well you get it. So cool story short, the companies profiting are beginning to appreciate and reinvest into their market now by giving back through prizes, competitions, products and doing what they can to keep the ball rolling, that’s the difference. There’s actually motivation and financial incentive to invest your time in gaming now.

As for drug testing? It makes incompetent people, competent. Let’s be honest. You don’t need a test to know who’s using what, but you can’t enforce rules based on assumptions and allegations so, if you want rules, then drug testing is necessary. Any person who has significant influence on others should be drug tested. Otherwise you end up having a world of filthy rich meth addicts with no life experience traveling the globe and inspiring all the other kids to do the same. Which is essentially what Xbox live and YouTube is right now, Kappa. I’m all for both drugs and drug testing, but, There is a time and place for everything, keep it out of competition.

Do you have any shout outs?

Sure, to VWS Gaming, the staff, the players, the sponsors. Everyone involved is always creating something and progressing their skills to be the best at their craft.

All the players and communities I support past and future, naded, mikwen, goofy, elumnite, all the teams, Halotracker and to everyone else in the gaming community building their own organizations. To all sponsors that help with equipment to create content. Check out latest uploads of my world record runs in trials on sandholmes channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Asi1iWEdw

Thanks :)

Where can the fans find you i.e. social media links?

I do not personally subscribe to social media outlets, but you can follow @VwS_Gaming on twitter and @812hzgaminggum. I enjoy creating content and images for the websites, streams, and twitter. My gamertag is mas0nyx if you want to fight.